DATA RELAY SYSTEM

Microcom will design a secure Data Relay System for transmission of GPS position, platform sensor, and weapons event data collected from a large number of fleet exercise participants distributed over an extended open-ocean area. We plan to modify our existing R Cubed Transponder (AN/URY-3) design to yield a 400 percent increase in data throughput and add a GPS receiver and Inertial Guidance unit for improved position location of training participants. Our goal is to design a secure Data Relay System operating at 141 MHz with a 4 MHZ bandwidth that will have an instantaneous data rate of at least l Megabit. To optimize participant data handling capacity, Microcom's Phase I study will determine the feasibility of reducing the present PPM pulse spacing by a factor of 4 (thereby increasing the data rate by 4 times). In addition, alternate technical approaches will be investigated and computer simulations will be conducted to verify anticipated data relay performance. Issues that will be addressed in the Phase I study will include correlation gain, link margin per- formance, transmitter reliability, secure transmission, size and weight, primary power requirements, and environmental requirements. In addition to the engineering analysis, Microcom will prepare a design plan and submit a preliminary system design specification which will be the basis for development and test of a data relay system in the Phase II project.